


Crumbling Like Pastries

by alovelydisgrace



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Depression, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Maybe - Freeform, NO WENDIGOS, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Drug Use, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Songfic, homeless/runaways au, its not as bad as it seems i promise, the pranks never happen au, theyre just sad babies that need love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 14:24:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5094005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alovelydisgrace/pseuds/alovelydisgrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam meets Josh on the streets, playing guitar on the corner for some loose change, and Sam just can't keep herself from wanting to know more about this flirty brunet left outside in the cold. She just wants to keep him from following in her footsteps.</p>
<p>~~ an angsty multichapter Jossam songfic, because I can't help myself. rated for subjects explored in later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. White Lips, Pale Face

Sam pulled her jacket closer to herself as she walked through the chilly October air. On her way to work, the blond weaved her way through the streets. On the last block, she first heard the music before she saw the musician.

“When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide! Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside… It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide…” The dark haired boy was leaning against the wall, playing an acoustic guitar and singing with reckless abandon. Passersby were tossing loose change into his guitar case. As Sam approached, he looked up at her with sad eyes.

“Your eyes shine so bright… I wanna save that light. I can’t escape this now, unless you show me how!” he sang to her. She smiled and watched as he finished out the song. He seemed a lot happier now, giving her a big smile as the song ended.

“That was very good. You have a lovely voice,” Sam complimented the stranger. He laughed.

“Not gonna compliment my musical prowess?” He joked back, strumming the guitar for emphasis. She laughed.

“Not today. Your G string is flat.” His smile fell from his face, and he looked down at the instrument in disbelief.

“No way, really!? I retuned it last night!”

“Then you need some new strings, my friend.” Sam took a step forward. “I’m Sam, by the way. What’s your name?” The brunet looked up from retuning the guitar and gave a small smile.

“Josh.”

“Well Josh, I’m late for work. So I gotta go. But maybe I’ll catch you later?” He slowly nodded. “Great. Come by the coffee shop down the street sometime. We have open mic nights on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.” Then, she left.

**oOo**

During her lunchbreak, she noticed Josh had moved to sit across from the coffee shop. She smiled softly and decided to get up and make some coffee for the both of them. As she wrote his name on a cup in her swirly script, her coworker and friend Ashley took notice.

“Ooo, who’s that for?” Sam told her about her morning and the redhead hummed. “Well that’s different.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna run this out to him; I’ll be back before my break’s over.” Sam left before Ash could say anything more. She quickly looked around before running across the road toward the brunet. She vaguely noted he was playing _Lay Me Down_ by The Dirty Heads.

“Well hey there stranger,” he greeted her with a smile. “Couldn’t stay away?” He winked and she rolled her eyes.

“Sure. I brought you some coffee; you’ve got to be cold out here.” She ducked down and sat with him, handing him the cup. His eyes went wide for a moment, and she noticed how green they were. “I mean, you don’t even have a jacket.” He shrugged lightly. He had the beanie and his jeans; he was pretty used to the cold at this point anyway.

“You didn’t have to do this… Thank you.” He sipped it graciously, not adding that it was the first warm thing he’s had in months. Sam smiled and nudged his shoulder.

“It’s nothing. I know just how a little bit of kindness can go a long way.” She spoke softly, with a hint of nostalgic sadness in her voice and a glassiness in her eyes, but it was gone almost as quickly as it came. For a moment, Josh nearly wondered if it had even happened. They sat in a companionable silence for a while, and then Sam sighed. “Well I have to get back to work. I’ll see you around?” Josh nodded. He helped her stand and she dusted off her pants before holding his face in one hand, looking very serious all of a sudden. “Be safe, okay?”

“Of course. I have to be able to see you, right?” He flashed her another smile and she rolled her eyes and waved to him before walking back across the street. Josh’s smile fell as soon as she was inside and he blinked a few times in confusion. _I wonder what that was about…_ he thought, sitting back down and nursing his coffee. He had to make it last as long as possible. Without Sam beside him, it was his only source of warmth.


	2. Breathing in Snowflakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Josh start their friendship together. But Sam can't help going into what Ashley calls "going into mama bear mode" as it gets colder outside.

Their friendship stayed this way for the next few weeks. Whenever Sam worked (usually three times a week) she would see Josh on her way to work, and they’d spend her break together out in the cold, sipping on their coffee. They didn’t speak much, just quietly sit with one another; Josh may play his acoustic softly while Sam muttered about how it was out of tune _again._

On the nights that Josh came in and performed for Open Mic, she and Ashley found out just how talented he really was. He seemed to know how to play piano, as he had played their old keyboard they had set up on stage a few times. The boy would sing and play things from _Adam’s Song_ by blink-182—so much sadder on piano, by the way—to _The Cave_ by Mumford and Sons. Afterwards, he’d buy a small black coffee and leave, with a small farewell to the girls and a “be careful!” from Sam. Then he was gone.

Tonight, as he played _Skyfall_ by Adele on the keyboard, Sam snapped. Ashley started making his usual coffee as the song was about halfway through, but then she noticed Sam’s tense posture and asked her what was wrong.

“I can’t take this anymore, Ash. He’s been around for almost a month and he’s been in the same clothes every day, he leaves as soon as he’s done performing, he sits outside all day long in the _cold_ without a jacket…” she rambled. Ashley giggled.

“Always the mama bear, Samantha.” She hung her head for a moment before looking at her friend.

“I’m just worried about him, Ash. He’s going to get hurt.” The redhead looked over the girl for a moment. The song was almost over.

“What are you gonna do, Sam? Take him in like a stray puppy?” Sam steeled her gaze. Ashley squinted at her, before her eyes went wide with realization. “Oh shit Sam, really?” Josh started coming off the stage.

“Tell no one.” Sam whispered, before Josh came up to the counter and started fishing money out of his pockets. Ashley rang him up and he said his usual goodbyes before Sam interrupted him. “Wait, Josh.” He turned back around, head turned to the side and eyebrow cocked in question. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll hold down the fort here,” Ashley sighed, but gave Sam a small smile and pushed her around the counter. She and Josh walked over to a table over by the windows and sat.

“So, what’s up?” Josh started, taking a swig of his coffee. Sam looked out the window. It was dark; looked like it was going to rain. “Sam?” She sighed.

“Do you have anywhere to go?” She asked. She realized she was intruding on his privacy, but she needed to know. There was immediate tension across the table, and he looked in his lap.

“No. I don’t.” His answer was more firm and much quicker than he had intended. He looked back up at her and his eyes were blank, his voice on the offensive. “Why do you care? You only just met me, you don’t know shit about me. You don’t give a fuck.” She waited as he went on. No matter how venomous his words were, or how painful his stare became, her voice was soft, and her eyes were kind. She leaned over the table and clasped her hand over his.

“Because I was once in the same position you are now, and I would have killed for a chance to have a friend.” He stopped completely and sunk into his chair. _What?_ “Josh, I’d like to extend my home to you. I don’t want you out in this storm and I can’t stand to see you out in this cold every day anymore. So, please, think about it.”

“Sam…”

“I’m going to finish out my shift. Stay here. I’ll come back in about twenty minutes expecting an answer out of you.” She gave him a smile and squeezed his hand before standing and walked back to the counter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAA A CLIFFHANGER!!
> 
> this chapter was originally going to be like 2k+ words but i decided to cut it up because im awful
> 
> have fun wondering what happens :P ill have the next chapter up soon tho, dont worry. itll be pretty long too. dialogue heavy, probably. thanks guys!! <3


	3. Burnt Lungs, Sour Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two learn a little bit more about one another.

Josh stared as she walked away. _She can’t be serious…_ He thought back to the day they first met.

_“…I brought you some coffee; you’ve got to be cold out here.” She ducked down and sat with him, handing him the cup. “I mean, you don’t even have a jacket.” He shrugged lightly…_

_“You didn’t have to do this… Thank you.”_

_“It’s nothing. I know just how a little bit of kindness can go a long way.” She spoke softly, with a hint of nostalgic sadness in her voice and a glassiness in her eyes, but it was gone almost as quickly as it came._

He looked out the window and sipped his drink, listening to another person play on stage. That day he realized Sam was a very charitable person, but he didn’t know that… she had been through similar situations. Maybe he could ask her about that sometime. He knew from personal experience that it was a rather touchy subject, but she might open up to him. _She seems pretty nice,_ he thought, watching her talk with Ashley behind the counter. _Sweet, trusting… pretty hot too,_ he laughed quietly.

All those days he jokingly flirted with her, hoping to get an errant touch or (if he was being too hopeful that day) a little kiss on the cheek or something. Any type of affection he would gladly accept. He supposed, in a way, her friendship and offering of shelter was a kind. He messed with his beanie, pulling it around his ears, and followed her with his eyes as the two girls pulled down the stage equipment for the night, closing the shop.

“I can finish the rest, Sam. You need to get home before it gets dark. You still walk right?” The blonde nodded and hopped off the stage.

“Chris coming to get you tonight?” Sam questioned, her voice teasing. Ashley blushed but nodded.

“Y-Yeah. Take my umbrella; looks like you’ll need it.” Ashley pointed to the window, noting the storm brewing outside. She did as told and walked back over to Josh.

“So, got an answer for me yet?” Sam leaned against the table and looked at him curiously. Josh looked around and stood.

“We should get going before it gets dark.” He picked up his guitar case, and Sam smiled. _Oh thank God._ She turned to Ashley and waved goodbye, and they walked out of the shop together. She held the umbrella above them as they walked down the streets, rain slowly falling as they went. About halfway home, Josh broke the silence.

“Um, Sam?”

“Yes Josh?” Her eyes slid over to look up at him.

“Thanks… for this.” He sheepishly mumbled, just loud enough to hear over the rain. It made Sam smile and she touched his arm, a light caress. “You’re really too kind.”

“Anything for a friend.” _Friends…_ The word resounded in his head, a warmth growing in chest at the thought. “And besides,” she looked down at the ground, “spending the night out in a storm like this, without even a jacket, in October... That’s some bad pneumonia right there. You could even die if you didn’t go get help.” She quickly shook her head, as if trying to shake an image out of her mind, and looked back at him. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His eyebrows furrowed.

“Why not? You don’t know me.” She chuckled softly.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re young; you still have life in your eyes; you’re alive. Isn’t that enough?” Her words and her expression almost took him aback. Sam was very much so full of surprises.

“Fair enough.”

They slipped back into that amiable silence until they got to what Josh assumed was Sam’s house. A small, one-story home, but definitely not something you could afford if you lived alone with just one part-time job. There was a black Kia Soul in the driveway. They walked inside, and after walking down the short hallway the house opened into the kitchen to the right and the living room in front of him. Sam put her keys on the island and walked around him.

“Welcome to my home. C’mon, I’ll show you around.” He stared at her for a moment, before looking around her at the… _grand piano?_ “You’re looking at the piano right?” Slight nod. She turned around and walked over to it, waving him over. “It was a housewarming present from my grandparents. They asked me where I wanted it and I said ‘wherever’ so they put it here and I just decorated around it.” She laughed a little, reminiscing. “You can play it whenever if you’d like.”

The next thing that piqued his interest was her seemingly dug-out couches behind the island and in front of the TV. It was mounted on the wall above the fireplace, a PS4 and cable box sitting on a shelf under it.

“Oh, those? I had these sectionals when I moved in here, and Mike gave me _four_ crazy ottomans that he didn’t need because they were the same color. Ashley got the idea to put them all together, but it was kind of hard to get onto the couch when it was like that. So the guys remodeled that part of the floor there and stuck them in.”

“You literally dug a hole in your house?” Josh raised an eyebrow her.

“Well when you put it that way it sounds ridiculous,” she laughed. “but yes, Josh, we dug a hole in my house. So now, when we have friends over, we can all sit around the edge and a bunch of people can sit there at once; _or,”_ Sam walked around Josh to the bar and reached under, pulling out some blankets and pillows from a cabinet, “you can throw down blankets and pillows and make it another bed if someone wants to sleep there or if you want to watch movies or just chill out there. Because, really, it is quite comfy.” She put the pillows and blankets down on the couches and then looked back at Josh. He shrugged and nodded.

“But, wouldn’t your landlord or whatever say you couldn’t do this? Like isn’t that bad?”

“Actually, no. This is my grandparents’ house. Or it used to be; they gave it to me. Technically they gave it to me once I moved in.” His eyes widened in surprise.

“Really?” She hummed and started walking toward the other hallway, about to show him the bedrooms. “What about your parents?” She stopped in her tracks, completely frozen. After a moment he realized she wasn’t breathing. Quietly, Josh took a few steps toward her, placed a gentle hand on the small of her back. “H-Hey, um, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you—”

“It’s fine,” Sam said, a forced smile on her face. She looked down for a moment taking a deep breath and looking into the boy’s eyes. “My parents are dead.” Josh let that sink in for a few seconds before slowly walking around the blonde—slowly, as to not startle her—and his hands stroked around her back to her shoulders, then down her arms to her hands. He stayed there for a minute, his thumbs rubbing circles into the backs of her hands. Then quietly, softly, deliberately, he kissed each of her hands. He never looked away from her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” He apologized gently. Before Sam could interrupt him, he went on. “And I apologize for asking about something so personal. It’s none of my business.” He watched her blush a lovely rose.

“Thank you Josh. It means a lot.” He dropped her hands back to her sides. She took a deep breath. “Now, the bedrooms…” She pointed out her bedroom and the guest room on the right side of the hall, then on the other side of the hall the bathroom and the laundry room. After the tour was over, she turned back to Josh, once again admiring the piano.

“Now that that’s over… you need a shower. Very badly.” He looked at her, mock-offended.

“What? I smell like lilies every day, I tell you!” They laughed.

“Oh please. You’ve worn the same outfit every day for at least a month that I know of, so you need a shower pronto, buddy.” She pushed him toward the bathroom. “I have some guy clothes around here somewhere; let me look around for them.”

“Left behind from old boyfriends?” Josh asked. Sam grimaced.

“I… wouldn’t call them that.” He made an understanding noise, catching her meaning quickly. Not pushing the details though, he waited for her to come back. She came back with boxers, sweatpants, and a tank top. He shrugged. “All of my guy friends have left things in my bathroom; razors, shampoo, conditioner, pretty much whatever you need. Go crazy. Towels are under the sink.” He nodded and they parted ways.

Quickly, while Josh was busy, Sam went back into her room and dug around in her backpack. After a few moments she found what she wanted and walked back to the living room, looking for Josh’s guitar. She found it by the door, and she picked up the case and carried it back to the living room. After setting the couch up the way she wanted, she put it against the corner of the couch, with her little gifts in front of it. Sam walked back over to the piano. _Perfect._ Then, after a moment, she sat down and pulled up the key cover. It’d been a while since she’d played, and she wasn’t the best, but she knew how to play to an extent. As she fell deep into thought, she started playing, and she didn’t realize she was singing for a while.

“I don’t mean to close the door but, for the record, by heart is sore. You blew through me like bullet holes; left stains on my sheets and stains on my soul. You left me broke down, beggin’ for change, had to catch a ride with a man who’s deranged! He had your hands and my father’s face… Another Western vampire—different time, same place.

“I have dreams that bring me sadness, rain much deeper than a river. Sorrow flows through me, tiny waves of shivers. Corny movies make me reminisce. They break me down easy on this generic love shit—first kiss, frog and princess… I’mma shake you off though; get up on that horse and ride into the sunset, look back with no remorse.

“I’mma shake you off though… Look back with no remorses…” The note faded off. Clapping replaced it, and her eyes shot open. _When did I…?_ She turned her head to see Josh, now dressed in the clothes she had given him, his hair still damp and pushed back.

“I didn’t know you could do any of those things, Sam. I’m impressed.”

“What do you mean?”

“Play piano, sing, or rap. Because that song is kind of both,” he laughed. _That shower definitely loosened him up,_ she thought.

“Well thank you, Josh. I’m not very good at piano but I’m still learning.” She stood and closed the cover. He frowned. “Oh, come on, you’ll have time to play it later. Let’s watch a movie or something. We can sit on the couch and talk, learn some things about each other if you want.” He nodded and they walked over.

“What is…? Holy _fuck_ Sam _you did not…!”_ She only giggled and watched as he jumped onto the couch and grabbed the box of new strings and pliers. The brunet looked up at her again blinking back tears. Last week he had told her about how he popped his strings on the acoustic, but he didn’t even imagine that she would go out of her way to _buy new strings for him!!_ “No Sam this—this is too much.” She crawled onto the couch to sit beside him.

“What do you mean?”

“You already do so much. You hang out with me almost every day, you—you give me coffee, you make sure I’m doing okay, and that was already more than I could ask for. And then you let me stay with you? Me? Just some random runaway that you’ve barely even known for a month? Sam you’re already a goddamn saint.” He was holding out the strings, trying to give them back. Sam gave him a loving smile and pushed them back toward him. “Sam.”

“Josh.” She placed a hand on his cheek and swiped her thumb under his eye, catching a tear about to fall. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, just the slightest bit. “I know what I do for you. Trust me, I do. And I do everything that I do because they are the kinds of things that I wish that someone would have done for me when I was out on the street.” There it is again. He wanted to ask her about it, but… “I don’t do anything or say anything without meaning behind it. I want you to keep those strings because I know you need them, and I know how much you love that guitar. Please Josh.” He opened his eyes, and saw how close they were. Her face was so soft, so understanding, so sweet. He nodded. She smiled and her hand fell from his face. “Thank you.” He laughed.

“Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?” She rolled her eyes.

While he restrung his guitar, Sam pulled up Netflix and ordered pizza—“the only pizza place around with real vegan choices, I swear”—and they made small talk. But soon enough that feeling was back in Josh’s gut, over just how long Sam was out there. Josh sighed again and after maybe the tenth time, the blonde acknowledge it.

“Something bothering you?” Her head laid on his shoulder.

“Uh… well…” he started, when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” He stood.

“Money’s on the bar.” Sam yelled as he walked away, still sifting through movies.

The two pizzas were good, and they shared the 2 liter of soda. As he got comfortable under the blankets and pillows, Sam brought it up again.

“So, do you still want to talk about it or…?” She asked. Josh looked down at his pizza box, the food now gone. “Josh?”

“Maybe.” Sam sat up to look at him more clearly.

“Okay, then. So, what’s on your mind?”

“Uhm… well, the thing is…” Silence. Sam sighed.

“It’s about me, right?” She took another bite of her pizza. “It’s okay. Just let me take my meds. I’ll be right back.” He watched her jog into the kitchen, sift around some bottles, and come back to the couch with three pills in her hand before tossing them into her mouth. “Shoot. I’ll let you know if it’s too personal or something.” He nodded.

“Mainly I’ve been wondering… H-How long were you out there? Y’know, like, homeless?” He cringed at how his voice cracked. She blinked.

“Oh. Um…” She sat for a moment, like she had to think about it. “About three years.”

“What?” His mind was static. _Three years? I was thinking maybe six months at the worst but… fuck._

“Yeah,” she took another bite of her pizza, “how about you? How long were you out before I found you?” He rubbed his arm.

“Month and a half…” He mumbled. She hummed.

“Anything else you’d like to know?” She asked. “Nothing about my parents or what happened while I was homeless—I don’t trust you enough yet to tell you about that.” He hummed. Made sense. “Don’t worry though. If it makes you feel better, I already trust you more than pretty much all of my friends.” He furrowed his brows. “None of them know I was homeless. Ashley knows that I went through a rough patch in my life right before I moved here, but that’s all she knows. And I’m intending to keep it that way.” She gave him a pointed look.

“Noted.” While he thought of something to ask, Sam stood and put her leftover pizza in the fridge. While in the kitchen, she heard mumbling.

“Sorry, what was that?” She walked back over to the couch.

“Can I play the piano yet?” He murmured, his hand messing with the back of his neck. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Jesus Christ… Finish stringing your guitar and you can play the fucking piano.” Sam shook her head and the brunet nearly squealed in happiness. _What a dork…_

It was quite the challenge trying to get him away from it. But after a while, he finally, _finally,_ Sam won the battle and was able to get Josh to go to bed.

“You can sleep on the couch in the guest room, whichever doesn’t really matter to me. If you need anything or something happens, my room’s always open, okay?” She hugged him, having to get on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. “Good night, Josh.” He hugged her back tightly, as if she would disappear if he didn’t.

“G’night, Sam.” He ghosted a kiss on the top of her head, hoping she didn’t notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't lying when i said this chapter was gonna be long. ~~six pages actually ugh~~
> 
> i hope you liked it!!! the song this chapter was _Werewolf_ by CocoRosie!! we looked a little bit into sam's past in this chapter. we'll look into josh's past eventually c: i'm sorry this was so long; my chapters usually arent quite this long (almost 3k words lol) but i think it was worth it. let me know  <3

**Author's Note:**

> ~~forgive me father for i have sinned~~
> 
> okay so more songfics because i am so addicted i cant fucking help myself... the song at the beginning is _Demons_ by Imagine Dragons. This is gonna be kinda heavy w the angst at some points and i apologize i usually write cute fluff shit but like.... yeah. i got this in my head and it wouldnt leave til i wrote it down. i know this chapter is kinda short but it was rly just to set the scene. the next one will be coming soon! i hope yall like it c:


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